Floating Coffin
Floating Coffin gives the strange world of Thee Oh Sees an unusually firm foundation. Guitars and drums stand clearly in view, and the songs carry more weight than their playful singing sometimes suggests. John Dwyer keeps his restless voice, but melody and rhythm have room to carry the music. The clarity makes the band more forceful rather than simply tidier.
I Come from the Mountain begins with rapid guitar movements and a rhythm section eager to push ahead. Dwyer's singing and Brigid Dawson's lighter parts complement each other well. This remains garage punk with rough edges, although its separate elements are easy to pick out. The playing feels controlled without losing its excitement.
Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster uses a heavier, fuzzier guitar sound. Small surf-like lines move through that sound and give the song a lighter touch. The contrast between a thick riff and a friendly melody makes much of the record appealing. The band need not complicate their arrangements to suggest different moods.
Strawberries 1 + 2 finds variety within one song. Its initial pace gives way to a slower, bluesier movement. Night Crawler also eases back, using a strolling rhythm and singing that hangs in the reverb. These passages provide useful interruptions between the more aggressive songs. They keep the album's steady force from becoming too uniform.
Not every melody sticks immediately. Sometimes the strength lies more in the performances and development than in an instantly memorable chorus. Yet Floating Coffin remains easy to return to. Minotaur finishes with a gentler, almost old-fashioned pop side, finally giving the heavy guitars a rest. It suits an album that plays hard while preserving plenty of colour.
